The three-day event held between August 25 and 27, 2012, braced up to address the global economic gloom, together with the rising inflation rates in the country and slowdown in the agricultural sector.
The expo, which had segments of grain and dairy technology, was inaugurated by JDS leader and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda.
In his opening address he stated that the fragmentation and labour shortage were serious issues that impacted the agriculture sector, which was the backbone of the country's economy. He pointed out that the slowdown had affected the lives of the poor and marginalised farmers across the country.
He said that almost 79 per cent of the farmers in Karnataka had less
than 1.25 hectare of land. A strong lobby currently prevented the
import of potato seeds from the Netherlands. "Karnataka farmers are
struggling with poor quality potato seeds and the situation can be
reversed if India can import seeds from the Netherlands."
He further said it was vital to look at the agriculture policy in the
country. This was the only way to ensure that farm productivity was
given a boost with the right storage facilities and marketing
opportunities.
"Unproductive programmes and wasteful expenditure have prevented the country from reaching its full agricultural potential. Modern methods of agriculture and mechanisation were not the only solutions to successful farming," he said.
Contract farming helped the farmers seek better remuneration.
Companies entering into agreements with farmers should ensure that
farmers get returns.
The expo which covered all aspects of agriculture offered an
insight into the latest developments in farm mechanisation. It also looked at how Indian agriculture practices were facing serious issues in pre- and post-harvest management of food crops and how the food processing sector was dealing with marketing and retailing concerns.
The expo was organised to bridge the gap between farmers and equipment manufacturers. A range of machinery for farming and agriculture along with dairy and poultry, livestock equipment, agri-processing equipment, pre- and post-harvest management machines, value-addition methods in food processing, and plants from countries like Canada, USA, Spain, Russia, Turkey, Holland, Israel, China, and Indonesia were on display.
